A person of color. That’s what the hygienist called me as she worked on my teeth. It took me a while to understand that she was referring to me! And I don’t remember anything else of the conversation.
I left the doctor’s office in a daze. My mind kept buzzing with those four words — I couldn’t shake it off.
Although I‘ve been called many names, no one had ever called me a person of color. And neither did I ever think of myself that way.
I was left wondering - don’t we all have a color? Then why are only some people referenced as ‘people of color?’
White does not denote an absence of color, it’s one of the colors. All other colors combine to form the color white.
I have never understood the obsession with fair skin or the fact that in many cultures beauty equals fair skin. It seems to be the remnants of colonization or to have stemmed from the perceived superiority of the aristocrats.
But what are we actually doing when we categorize people based on the color of their skin?
Creating Divisions
Since we are focused on color, if you look at the color wheel, there is a clear line that divides each of the colors.
Similarly, when we categorize people based on the color of their skin, we invariably create a separation and an invisible yet palpable line between them.
Splitting the Sections
In a color wheel, each color is further divided to create a tint, shade or tone. Variations in the same color are derived by either adding black, grey or white to the dominant color.
However, just like each section of color, people also represent a shade, tint or tone of a single hue. For example, among people with brown skin tone, there are shades of golden, yellow, olive, pink or peach tones that may seem subtle and yet set them apart.
Since we have created broad color categories of human beings, are we going to create further divisions based on the shades, tones and tints of a color? And how many more divisions can we create?
I often wonder if this is how we have reached a point where the citizens of one nation are often referred to as African-American, British-Indian, Asian-Australians, and the many more hyphenated versions. Why is it necessary to segregate citizens of a nation?
It’s Derogatory and Hurtful
Even to this day, when I think about being referred to as a ‘person of color,’ it feels weird. Because I never think of myself in terms of a color. And I’m sure neither do you.
Unless someone mentions it explicitly or treats you in a way that reminds you of the color of your skin.
The truth is that it doesn’t matter how you word it, any reference to a human being as a color is offensive. You are so much more than the color of your hair, skin or eyes. You cannot be defined by any color or a single word.
What to Do Instead
- Look at your own thought processes and reactions and watch your language, the assumptions you make, and the terms you use to describe others. Whenever you find yourself thinking about or describing someone by the color of their skin, their ethnicity, etc., stop and rephrase. It’s a gradual process and you will soon realize that the external differences don’t matter at all. You learn to accept each individual for who they are, exactly as they are.
- Understand that most of these words have racial connotations. And not in the best way. That’s why they feel derogatory and make one feel alienated.
- Learn from the past, and resolve to do differently. Not just with changing a word, but by eliminating the very need of it. Be curious and learn about the evolution of these words and how and why they were used or are being used today. Educating ourselves about the past and thinking about it critically and empathetically often brings about a change.
- You could also ask someone how they wish to be addressed. It’s respectful and considerate when in doubt to ask rather than assume.
Conclusion
People are like a bunch of flowers, each tender and unique in itself and yet adding to the beauty of the entire bouquet.
Most of us want to live in a world where there is fairness and equality irrespective of our inherent differences.
But if we want to create a better world, we have to do differently than we always have. Replacing one word with another doesn’t change the deep seated biases within us. Treat each person as the magnificent human being they are and not as a color or a word.
